SOCIOLOGY ASSIGNMENT

PROTECTION OF MONUMENTS AND OBJECTS OF NATIONAL

IMPORTANCE

What is a monument? A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to

commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social
group as a part of their remembrance of past events. Hence a monument is also known as
a reminder of one who has been forgotten. I have chosen one of the less prioritized
directive principles as my assignment: “Protection of monuments and objects of national
importance.”

It is just a directive principle which does not have much importance any longer. These are
the objects which reminds us of the rich and varied heritage and culture of our country,
India. But now when we try to reflect our past, we can see nothing but various graffiti on
its structure. It’s a shame on us that we are only cursing those people who have scribbled
on the monuments, but taking no strong action against them.

The purpose of retaining monuments is - Ancient India being one of the flourished
cultures all over the world from the times of Mohenjodaro till the Golden Period of the
Mughal Empire. Monuments are not only the place for tourist attraction but to recall the
history, how were our ancestor and how they construct the marvelous structures without
having modern equipments and systems. Even today the echo system and the ventilation
system are being researched by the world. The monuments namely Taj Mahal & Qutab
Minar is listed among the Wonders of the World.

As per the Article 51 A (F) of the Constitution of India, "It shall be the duty of every
citizen of India to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture." So let’s
stop the blame game. It’s not the question about what could have been done, but what is
to be done. The fabulous Gates, magnificent mosques, temples, and ornate tombs are the
ones that have borne the brunt. People are only thinking of the present race for survival
and in the name of modernization the facilities enjoyed by them are creating pollution in
the air which has impacted the natural beauty of the monuments and eroded their
structure. ‘A protected monument is the one which enjoys importance from the national
angle. The art and architecture on it is rare and the monument is more than 100 years
old.’

Most of the monuments lie in densely populated areas of the cities. Most of them are also
under the management of religious bodies. People make unauthorized constructions at
these monument sites, defacing or changing the original plan of the monument which
causes problems in conservation work. Smoke from increasing number of factories and
vehicles also cause damage to the monuments. An increased vibration level due vehicular
traffic passing through various gates is another damaging factor. People need to be
sensitized about their cultural heritage. They deface the monuments by pasting
advertisements, painting or scratching names on the walls. So it is the duty of the
Government and the citizens of the country to protect the monument from various
damages. Once the monuments get damaged it is very difficult to rebuild the same over a
period of time.

Barricading the monuments will also help in protecting them, if unrestricted access to the
monuments is denied to the public and barricades are built around monuments like gates,
at least the monuments will not be vandalized. After this, plans to beautify the place by
placing lights and fountains can be undertaken with the co-operation of the local
government.

We know it is always preferable to move forward, looking back. So it is my earnest

request to all my fellow citizens to feel proud of our history and ancient culture and see to
it that the memoirs of our past are not tarnished.

SOUMITA BANERJEE
FYBBA-B
ROLL NO: 102